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Buick took the wraps of the front end of their new mid-sized crossover, dubbed the Envision – or Ang Ke Wei, in China.
Powered by the corporate 2.0L turbo-four making 256 horsepower and 260 lb-ft, the engine will feature a 6-speed automatic transmission, stop-start and all-wheel drive. The Envision is likely based on the Theta platform that underpins the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain.
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Is it going to be based on the Theta or is this an updated and Buick-ized version of the rental only Captiva?
It’s overall shape feels like Captiva.
I don’t think they would cheap out and use an ancient platform for their most important market. I’m betting Theta.
Theta *is* the platform that the Chevy Captiva Sport is on, as well as all of GM’s other small crossovers going some distance back, probably all the way back to the first Saturn Vue. “Theta Premium”, on the other hand, has been modified to be more premium, and has been utilized by the current Cadillac SRX, as well as the short-lived Saab 9-4X. Theta Premium is probably what will underpin the production Envision, if not an entirely-new platform.
The only way this thing makes sense in the US, in my opinion, is to base it on the Theta Premium platform. And then only if Cadillac moved the SRX to the ATS / CTS platform. In fact, Cadillac needs both an ATS-based CUV and one based on the CTS. Then Buick’s Envision will have the Lexus RX / Acura MDX market to itself and Cadillac can rightly focus on the X3, X5, GL and ML.
“Then Buick’s Envision will have the Lexus RX / Acura MDX market to itself and Cadillac can rightly focus on the X3, X5, GL and ML.”
Well, at this point, the MDX has become sort of a large crossover, and competes readily with the MKT, Enclave, JX/QX60 and XC90 (for now). I *think* you mean the RDX. As far as Cadillac moving to RWD platforms like the Europeans, I don’t know that that would go so well. On one hand, you have people in the $40-$48K range who’d like something average-sized, and who will now have to “settle” for a Buick, unless they want to pay more money. On the other side, Cadillac’s ego has gotten a bit large as of late, and its problem is that its executives think they can credibly charge as much as the Europeans, who’ve had decades of building world-class luxury cars. If Cadillac builds an X5/ML-Class/Cayenne/Range Rover Sport fighter, it will be priced as such, and most people will look elsewhere. Really, the Cadillac models that have actual bang-for-your-buck and the ones that actually support the brand are the FWD-based ones…the XTS and SRX.
Kyree is onto it:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/07/22/bmw-buick-consumer-reports-score-regal/12988137/?post_id=1112041610_10202596485369306#_=_
Consider Calgary Dave and a few others ahead of the curve.
They pushed the boundaries of design with this new Buick Ankleweight.
“Buick Ankleweight”
You pushed the boundaries of funny! Several levels of funny.
The headlights are blue though. Surely the sign of top quality.
+1 on ankleweight…so fitting and original.
More power and torque than both the NX and MKC. Just have to await tow ratings as the Encore’s 1,000 lbs is coming up short for water sport towing.
How is 260 lb-ft more than 270 lb-ft of the 2.0 in the MKC (not to mention the 305 lb-ft in the 2.3)?
Don’t be silly Johnny!
http://trifectaperformance.com/trifecta/?page_id=32
I was afraid that was somehow implied in his post. Should the fact that they can’t even seem to build a real website be alarming? And it’s not like the 2.0EB is devoid of tunes…
I see no reason that this wouldn’t also come to the States…other than the fact that the Cadillac SRX competes pretty head-on with the Lexus RX, Volvo XC60, Lincoln MKX and Acura RDX. The Buick Envision, then, would have to be more of a semi-premium Nissan Murano/Ford Edge competitor…something which, admittedly, GM doesn’t have. But with nice versions of the Equinox and Terrain easily exceeding $35K, it might be a tough position for the Buick.
Maybe GM won’t bring it after all…
After seeing the pricing for the Terrain, and then riding in one a couple different times, I have a big problem with how much they’re asking for that car. The ride and interior materials were not up to par.
EDIT:
The V6 is a $1,900 option even on the top of the line Denali. Nav +795, rear screens +1,295 on top of that. If you want plates on the door sills, $325. First aid kit – oh that costs more too at $25. Want your Denali wheels to actually say GMC on them? $200.
I optioned one (not fully) to $41,710.
There are acres of hard plastic in the Equinox and Terrain. And I can’t believe they’d have the gall to upcharge you for a V6 in the Denali. The only thing that’s a worse deal for the money is the VW Tiguan. I’d probably look at getting an Escape for around $28K…
The shape of the dash (swoopy hard plastic) doesn’t help either. It made it feel very cramped in there. Seemed to me there was just too much extra dash.
And very limited rear leg room.
And a very crashy ride over bumps, even in a new example with <10k miles.
Re: Terrain
Also did you happen to roll down the rear windows at speed? I’ll sit in a classroom with fingernails on a chalkboard for a couple hours before I’d ever want to hear that sound again, instant headache.
I can’t believe a car made it into production with an aerodynamic profile that created that sound/noise/pressure. And better yet I can’t believe someone would buy that.
Worst rental ever.
Pretty sure the one I had hadn’t cracked 50miles when I got it.
Wow tons of unwarranted hate for the Terrain here.
@CoreyDL
Based on your statements I’m pretty sure you’ve never driven or been in a Terrain. If you did you’d know its got class leading 40″ of rear leg room (more than Escape and Rav4 at 37 and CRV at 38). The seats are adjustable too. You can slide them forward to gain more cargo room or slide them back to gain leg room. The Terrain’s interior is the roomiest in its class.
If you think the ride of the Terrain is crashy you should drive the competition. The Terrain’s suspension is a Lincoln Town Car compared to a CX5 or CRV. Its class leading 112″ wheelbase plus softer sprung suspension provides for a vehicle that drives with the ride quality and confidence of a larger vehicle. Its not a corner carver like a CX5 but it’s much better for longer trips.
We own a 2013 Terrain and I don’t find its interior materials to be any different than its competition. They all use hard plastic. One year old and it still completely rattle free.
One of the key factors in purchasing a Terrain was the exterior styling. We didn’t want an SUV that looked like a “cute-ute” with feminine wedgey styling. The ideal vehicle stylistically was a Wrangler 4-door but the fuel consumption and ride quality left a bit to be desired considering my wife has no intentions of taking it offroad. So we started looking for alternatives that offered boxier masculine styling. The Terrain quickly jumped to the top of the list. Its basically the only CUV that looks like a more traditional SUV. If that means there are strange aero quirks to have that styling then so be it. Don’t like it? Buy an Equinox. Those of us who dislike wedgey melted-V styling need something to buy besides a Tahoe.
The Terrain is price competitive for its class in non-Denali trim. For $30k we got a sunroof, IntelliLink (an awesome system), heated seats, remote start, and a reliable 30mpg on the highway at 68mph. We also got S-class rear leg room and the most compliant ride in its class. At that price it was a good value. For $40k I’d buy a Jeep GC but the price target was $30k. Actually I’d just save an additional $5k and buy a Tahoe. I view the Denali as a way to get more money out of people who simply don’t want a bigger vehicle regardless of price. The Jeep GC, Acadia, etc are all larger than the Terrain. Of course overlap is always the case with most vehicles’ pricing. That loaded Edge takes you into Tahoe territory. A loaded Civic takes you into Accord territory.
Also for the record the Edge, Murano, and Grand Cherokee are not this vehicle’s competition.
Frylock:
I’m pretty sure I’ve been in a red terrain with tan/black interior twice – but please continue trying to justify your purchase.
Your comparison to S-Class legroom makes me pretty sure you don’t know what an S-Class is.
…I optioned one (not fully) to $41,710…
Not hard to get a Ford Edge to that money.
Nav costs you another $795 on the top of the line sport
Door sills another $245
Remote vehicle start is $284
Dual screens are $1995
I got to $42,665 on a not fully optioned V6 AWD Edge, a vehicle lets add generally panned by critics for ride, quality, and feeling about one or two generations out of date from the competition.
This category of vehicles is expensive – the Terrain is competitively priced (now the looks on the other hand – yikes!)
A top line Murano starts at over $40K with delivery, and doesn’t include navigation either.
I haven’t seen a Denali Terrain on the lot for 40k+ so I’m surprised they go that far… you really need to take incentives into account, though. An Edge Limited I priced out for ~38k was found on a local lot for 33.5k.
@Corey DL It’s hurting me to try and wrap my brain around the pricing on all those additional options. 13hundo for screens?! Just buy and mount 2 damn ipads at that price. This is why I bought the lowest end least optioned car I could.
I think GMC is just pulling an Aston Martin with this vehicle (or really the Denali line) and charging so much “because they can.”
@Corey
You can find an Equinox LTZ with the 2.4 for around 30k, which isn’t a terrible price given the competing vehicles in the segment start in the high 20’s and rise quickly into the 40k mark when you load them up with options. Add the 3.6, bigger rims and a sunroof and you’ll push 32-33k. I’ve been happy with acceleration on my LT’s 2.4, but I can see how you’d want the 3.6, particularly given real world fuel economy is very similar between the two engines.
The Terrain, particularly in Denali trim, can easily push 35k+ which just seeems silly when a much superior Jeep Grand Cherokee Limit starts at 36k in 2WD guise. The Edge Limit can had in the 33-34k range, after incentives, but it should be known there’s much less usable room in the Edge due to Ford’s *intelligent* interior packaging.
EDIT –
Oh, and that hard plastic makes some lovely rattles, 30,000+ miles in. The Equinox definitely makes more sense than the Terrain… I just can’t see who’d spend 35-40k on a Terrain when the Grand Cherokee is such a stupidly good deal. The Equinox doesn’t offer proximity entry/PBS, and I am pretty sure the Terrain doesn’t, either. The GC is a value champ in that 35-40k price range, in particular.
I would concur about the Edge packaging – and I don’t care much for the interior design of the car at all. I think the GC projects a more upscale image for that kind of money.
Can’t believe you have rattles already, that would make me extra angry.
Oh, and I would -expect- the V6 to be in the Denali because it’s the top trim level. It should absolutely be standard. It’s really a case of a Terrain being a 20K-ish car with 20K of options, or the GC being a 40K-ish car with 5K options removed.
Edit: And as Vogo mentioned, the Edge is plenty old right about now.
The Terrain is so poorly designed inside that it hurts my brain to think about it. I’ve ridden in one and drove a test drive before, it’s just not a spacious vehicle for the size and curb weight. Maybe the Buick can alter that somewhat but unless they figure out how to de-cramp the Terrain I doubt it will make much of an impact.
On the bright side, at least you can’t see the exterior from the interior. Another cheap looking GM cartoon caricature. $40k to be seen in that? Does it burb when you open the door?
Parents test drove an Equinox LT back in July 2012, about a week before we bought our RAV4. Uncomfortable seats, less legroom than expected (only 5’11” or so back then), and a pathetic A/C. My sister and I were sweating on max.
First gen Rogue, on the other hand, has super comfy seats, a ferocious A/C, and a quite roomy backseat.
@CoreyDL,
Google it. The S-class has 42″ of rear leg room. Terrain has 40″. That’s pretty damn close.
Maybe in the SWB model, which almost none of them are.
There wasn’t enough leg room in the one I rode in. And when traveling to a business lunch, it’s not appropriate to say “Hey can I adjust your seats?”
…he Buick Envision, then, would have to be more of a semi-premium Nissan Murano/Ford Edge competitor…something which, admittedly, GM doesn’t have…
GMC Terrain Denali?
You’re right, although really the GM twins aren’t very competitive. Like I said above, they have very poor materials choices (compared to far cheaper GM vehicles, like the Cruze). They lack lots of features that the Edge and Murano would have, and there are upcharges for the V6 all the way across the lineup (you can get a four-cylinder in the Edge, but it’s the 2.0T EcoBoost, and it’s nicer than the V6). With the Terrain Denali, you’re paying extra for chrome…and that’s it.
And let’s keep in mind that both the Edge and Murano are a couple of months from being replaced.
Buick Envision would appeal strongly to Mrs. PrincipalDan. She is a dyed in the wool Buick girl who thinks the Terrain is too block-y, the Equinox is too pedestrian, and the Encore is too small. She really wants an Enclave but can’t afford it.
I initially came out against this vehicle on the principle of “badge engineering” but now I wonder how many people (read: women) there are like her out there?
Bring it to the states and you just gave her a stepping stone to buying an Enclave someday.
Later this Century, Envision her driving her Enclave across Park Avenue to Rendezvous with you at the local Reatta. There wouldn’t be a more Regal sight on the Riviera that day.
Corey,
How long will you be here – all week?
Do you advise that we tip our waitstaff well?
How is the veal – should I try it?
Do you hate my humor?!
I am LOVING your humor, Corey!
Do you hate my sarcasm?
I’m so used to snark around here that it’s hard to tell sometimes. So many subliminal things flying around.
Is it just me or is the Enclave particularly good at following the Kodo style? To my eyes, the Enclave would be the best looking big rounded SUV (as opposed to truckish Suburban types) were it not for the CX9 exectuting Kodo even better.
It mildly amuses me how Buick’s design lately is toned-down mazda imitation.
Yes they are, and they will surpass the Terrain on every level.
@Corey @PrincipalDan I’m sure the Mrs. would feel more Special in an Enclave. OK enough Skylarking here! Corey, I agree with your comments on the Terrain. The ride is crude and jittery and the interior is first generation Dodge Journey grade. How’s that for LeSabre rattling?
Don’t tell that to Frylock, GS. It’s extremely luxurious and rides well. The back seat is comparable to an S-Class of the highest specification.
The Buick Invasion, trundling our way from China.
How can they call it ‘Envision’ when it all it does is redefine ‘boring’?
But since Buick’s China sales are 4X that of the US, I guess it doesn’t matter.
Why did they call it “Encore” when no one asked for another small crossover?
And yet it is selling well. The first few months they were released Buick dealers here in the Southwest couldn’t keep them in stock.
True enough. It’s as if a buyer were born like every minute.
Nice one. :)
Like yours, my wife loves the looks of the new Buicks. I thought she would want to buy one as her venerable van died (145k, but more like 345k according to the mechanic commenting on how she drove and backed into things…just doesn’t have the reverse gene, but I digress), but she found the Buick crossovers too big or too small. an Envision-size vehicle may have fit the bill, but she turned around and bought a Forester! (??) She’s happy – – I’ll take it.
Law suit on oil consumption of Subaru engines. I told my girlfriend the the jumbo that with her oil swilling 2012 Forester as I and getting tired of topping off the fluids every couple of months.
Yeah…just heard about that…we have a ’15, heard that the lawsuit covers ’11 through ’14, but I don’t think there was an in house fix for ours. We’ll see how it plays out. Shoulda bought another CX5.
at least this one does not sound like a minor league religious cult on 4 wheels like the enclave.
It’ll turn out that “Ang Ke Wei” translates loosely into “Church of the Solar Temple”.
the plan has been and is, make it so desirable they won’t care where it’s produced.
Buick should call this the Enigma if we get the Chinese version.
Why all the work GM? Just rebadge a SAAB 9-4x leftover.
I *love* the 9-4X. Please bring it back. It was so young…
You weren’t alone. I was bound and determined that I was going to buy a 9-4x.
Ah, another clone… GM’s back! Since Cadillac is a bit player in China, look for this to be China only. RenCen would rather sell you a hecho en Mexico “Cadillac” for MOAR money then they could get from a Buick model, especially since SRX is half or nearly half of the brand’s sales.(not to mention the existing GMC clone competitor at your local BPG dealer).
Yeah but we could come up with a list of vehicles that ONLY exist because the Buick/GMC dealers clamored for them. If each town had a General Motors Store (instead of 5 or 6 dealers in various GM brands in the Albuquerque metro area) you wouldn’t have GM competing with itself.
GMC/Buick dealer talking to zone rep: “You know there’s a gap between the Encore and the Enclave. Many of my customers wish there was a midsize Buick CUV.”
Zone Rep: “Why don’t you sell them a Terrain, maybe one with the Denali package?”
GMC/Buick dealer: “Wellllllll the hardcore Buick folks aren’t going to buy GMCs. Those are for contractors and rednecks.”
Zone Rep: (face-palm)
Nah, you have to agree. With the differences in brand and aesthetics, these are going to be appealing to very different crowds. I know people who drove the comparable GMC Acadia, hated it, and then drove the Enclave and bought one.
Whatever happened to proper proportions and aerodynamics? The front end of the Envision is excessively round and wide… it so closely resembles… a Kardashian derriere.
Styling cues like the Encore should make it a good seller.
Bring on the Cherokee Overland! Mopar Uber Alles!
If there is anything that is the antithesis of a hot cup of coffee in the morning, it is Buick’s design DNA. What an absolute snoozer.